Skate boots, and in particular ice hockey skate boots, have generally become more and more rigid through time in order to provide the necessary support for the players. Skate boots must usually provide at least some ankle support, while nevertheless allowing a certain degree of flexion to accommodate the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the ankle joint.
Usually, a brand new skate boot is too rigid for many player's tastes, until such time as the wearer has succeeded in “breaking it in”. After the break-in period, the boot is considered at an adequate flexibility level. As the skate becomes more broken down through extended use, creasing usually appears on the boot, for example in the quarter portions of the boot in proximity of the eyelets. As this creasing in the boot material increases, the boot becomes more and more flexible, to a point when the boot is too flexible to provide proper support for the wearer. As such, a skate boot generally has an adequate level of flexibility for a period which will vary depending on the personal likes and style of the wearer, but which will generally represent only a portion of the total possible lifespan of the boot.
Accordingly, improvements are desirable.